By Keith Carlson Busy, hard-working nurses may not readily acknowledge that membership in a workplace committee is a strategy for nursing career growth and professional development. However, committee work can lead to many positive outcomes for nurses seeking a novel way to dig deeper into their career trajectory and involvement in healthcare leadership. While barriers may exist to committee involvement, the benefits can far outweigh the challenges. READ MORE

Help us determine the future direction of AzNA by completing a 5 minute survey.

AzNA is recruiting for a convention planning committee to plan the education for convention. The time commitment includes 2 to 3 conference calls with additional communication via email for 6-9 months before convention. There will also be opportunities for the committee to help at convention. If you are interested, please email debby@aznurse.org.

Make sure to save the date for AzNA's Biennial Convention on Sept. 28-29, 2017 at the Embassy Suites in Scottsdale.

The purpose of this survey is to learn how cultural values effect nurses’ perceived duty to provide care during disaster or mass-casualty situations at the workplace. Male and female registered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who are 18 years or older; licensed to practice in the US; able to read, write, and speak English; and willing, able, and have access to a computer are eligible participate. The research study survey is approved by The University of Texas at Tyler Institutionl Review Board (IRB # F2016-25; Oct. 30, 2016) and will remain open from November, 2016 through Dec. 31, 2016. Your participation in this research is very important, as it represents the views and experiences of American nurses. All information you provide will be kept secure and will only be viewed by the researcher and dissertation Chair. Gift cards will be randomly awarded to ten participants who enter their email address at the completion of the survey. Providing an email address address is strictly voluntary and email addresses will not be linked with responses in any way. Completion of this survey implies your informed consent.

It is requested that iPhone owners NOT use their mobile/cell device for survey participation, as there is a limited view of questions and response choices. A computer/laptop will provide the best image of the questionnaire. Please click on the link below when you are ready to begin.

ANA will hold its second faculty webinar, How to Expertly Manage Students with Unsafe Behaviors in the Clinical Setting, on Nov. 29, 2016 at 1 p.m. EST. In this live and interactive webinar, we’ll explore ways to recognize and act on unsafe behavior indicators BEFORE they become a problem. As a result of attending this webinar, participants will immediately add “tools to their faculty toolbox” to help them — and their students — achieve excellence.

Daily NurseTwo years after reports were first published informing the nation that veterans were waiting too long for health care from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), over 530,000 veterans are still waiting 30 days or longer for care. To improve veterans wait times for healthcare, the VA released a proposal granting veterans full access to over 4,800 advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) working in VA facilities, enabling those APRNs to practice to the full scope of their education and clinical training.READ MORE

Advance for NPs & PAsIn 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the use of FluMist Quadrivalent, an intranasal live attenuated influenza vaccine, for children ages 2 to 8 years. Basing its recommendation on a 2004 randomized controlled trial that found a 55 percent reduction in the number of flu cases among children who had used the spray, the CDC concluded that the spray was more effective in these children than traditional, injectable forms of the vaccine. However, in 2015, the CDC did not renew its preference for FluMist, although it was still considered a viable alternative to traditional vaccines. In 2016, the CDC determined that FluMist was essentially ineffective as a flu vaccine, eliminating the nasal spray from its recommendations altogether.READ MORE

Nurse.comMarty Higgins, MS, RN, NE-BC, director of surgical services at The Medical Center of Plano, Texas, said working in the OR is one of nursing’s best-kept secrets. After graduating from nursing school, Higgins worked in labor and delivery before transitioning into a career as an OR nurse. In this Q&A, Higgins offers advice for nurses who are considering a career in perioperative nursing.READ MORE

Medical XpressA team of biomedical engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas have identified a cause of fluid swelling of the brain, or cellular edema,that occurs during a concussion. The researchers discovered that pre-treating the cells with an existing, U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drug used for epilepsy and altitude sickness reduces the expression of a specific protein that causes swelling.READ MORE

FierceHealthcareAlthough male nurses are common, they often deal with stereotyping and face prejudice while on the job.
Male nurses interviewed by Minority Nurse reported that many patients make assumptions about their sexuality, or think they're only in it to “see women naked." Some patients even request a different nurse simply because they don't want a male one. Some see their gender and assume they are a doctor. Or assume that they failed to become a doctor. READ MORE

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Calling All RNs! Land at O.A.S.I.S. HospitalOASIS Hospital, the Valley's Premier Orthopedic Hospital is seeking talented and knowledgeable RNs to join their world class team! These highly sought after full-time RN positions provide autonomy, exceptional rate, a family setting, great schedule, and pure joy.

HealthDay NewsPalliative care can ease the burden that a serious illness places on both a patient and loved ones, but there's no evidence that it can extend the life of a sick person, a review of the available evidence has concluded. People who receive palliative care have better quality of life and fewer symptoms than people who don't receive such care, said study lead author Dio Kavalieratos, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine's Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics.
But there's no evidence that palliative care has any impact on how long a patient will live, Kavalieratos added.READ MORE

Medical News TodayFrom 1900 through 1996, mortality from infectious diseases declined in the United States, except for a 1918 spike due to the Spanish flu pandemic. Since 1996, major changes in infectious diseases have occurred, such as the introduction of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS and West Nile virus into the United States, advances in HIV/AIDS treatment, changes in vaccine perceptions, and increased concern over drug-resistant pathogens. To examine these changes, the authors used data from the National Office of Vital Statistics reports from 1900 through 1967 and from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WONDER database from 1968 through 2014.READ MORE

Medscape (free login required)A recent Medscape article about whether night-shift nurses should nap at work led to more than 700 nurses adding comments on the article and a related poll.
The Medscape article described a study conducted by nurse researchers who investigated the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of implementing a napping program for night nurses. They approached six nursing units about participating in the study.READ MORE

The Washington PostWhen people ask me what my job is like, I have a hard time coming up with an answer. I am a nurse in a pediatric intensive-care unit, so the definition of a good day is relative to the condition of my patients, and a bad day is usually too hard to describe. But one thing that I can always convey is that my patients and their families often do more for me than I do for them.READ MORE

The New York TimesOne in four children in the U.S. did not have access to essential healthcare, though a record number of young people now have health insurance, reports a new study released Nov. 21 by the Children's Health Fund.
The fund's report found that 20.3 million people in the nation under the age of 18 lack "access to care that meets modern pediatric standards." A national non-profit based in New York City, the fund works to expand access to comprehensive primary care.READ MORE

For over 100 years, The College of St. Scholastica has been preparing nurses for successful careers in healthcare. Now, our School of Nursing, one of the two largest in Minnesota, is offering our signature Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program in Phoenix. Online with minimal on-campus visits. Apply today.

Specialty Practice Management is a complete front- and back-office solution that offers a rapid return on your investment and improved satisfaction among your staff. Practices with 10 or fewer providers turn to this comprehensive solution to manage self-pay accounts and eliminate the common mistakes that prevent or delay insurance reimbursement.
Read more

JAMAForty years ago, Helene Glaser received a letter in the mail from Harvard epidemiologist Frank E. Speizer, MD. The letter invited Glaser, a 31-year-old nurse at the Lown Cardiovascular Group just outside of Boston, to participate in “a study of a major public health issue.” This was 1976, more than 15 years after the birth control pill came on the market. But “there was no one who was looking at potential long-term consequences of oral contraceptives,” Speizer, now the Edward H. Kass Distinguished Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and professor of environmental science at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said in an interview.READ MORE

ReutersThe World Health Organization declared that Zika no longer constitutes an international emergency, but it stressed a need for a long-term effort to address the virus, which has been linked to birth defects and neurological complications. Officials on WHO's Emergency Committee made clear the Zika still constitutes a global public health threat. They warned the virus, which has been found in 60 countries since the outbreak was identified last year in Brazil, will continue to spread where mosquitoes that carry the virus are present.READ MORE

Nurse.comIn today’s world, we are much more aware of instances of bullying, harassment, intimidation and threats, and there’s no doubt that good interpersonal skills in all healthcare settings can mitigate those issues and aid surgical patient outcomes.
Whether lateral and horizontal violence, incivility, nurse-to-nurse or physician-to-nurse bullying, such conduct is unacceptable in all areas of nursing and nursing practice, including perioperative practice. READ MORE